Metabolic syndrome, like many other obesity-related conditions, is on the rise in Cameroon and other parts of the world. Experiments were performed to determine, among other things, whether Irvingia gabonensis, an extract of the West African plant, could be used as a treatment for metabolic syndrome, to reduce total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood glucose, C-reactive protein, and leptin levels and increase adiponectin levels in a mammal.
Methods: A ten-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed involving 102 healthy, overweight and obese participants (53% male, 47% female, ages 19-50; mean age=34). The subjects were randomly divided into two equal groups—placebo and IGOB131 treatment, and all received one 150 mg capsule containing placebo or extract twice a day before meals. A total of nine anthropomorphic and serological measurements were taken at baseline and at four, eight, and ten weeks.
Results: Compared to the placebo group, the IGOB131 group showed a statistically significant different on all nine variables by week ten. These included the three anthropomorphic variables (body weight, body fat, waist size) and the six measures of serological levels (plasma total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood glucose, C-reactive protein, adiponectin, and leptin).
Conclusion: Serum leptin levels were lower in the IGOB131 group while their serum adiponectin level was higher. These results, combined with those on the other seven variables, suggest that the Irvingia gabonensis extract, IGOB131, may be used to manage metabolic syndrome through control of obesity and lipid profile.